


The Darkest Nights

by angelica40040



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Abused Nico, Abusive Hades, Abusive Percy, Asylum, Crazy, Depressed Nico, F/M, Hurt Nico, Jasico - Freeform, M/M, Percico - Freeform, Rape, Violence, insane
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-06
Updated: 2015-09-12
Packaged: 2018-04-19 09:18:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4741055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelica40040/pseuds/angelica40040
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico's life had gone from good to horrible in one day.</p><p>The day that his mom and sister had died in a car crash.</p><p>Nico's dad hates Nico because his wife and daughter had died and not him, and started abusing him, forcing Nico to do the worst to him—to kill his father.</p><p>The court doesn't believe Nico's story about his father's abuse and sends him to the Olympic Academy For the Insane. </p><p>Things get even worse, everything in his life gets worse. The only person in the whole school who is thought not to be crazy, is actually very insane.</p><p>Will Nico survive the dangers of a school for the insane when he isn't the slightest crazy?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So hi guys! This is my first fic on this site, hopefully I did nothing wrong... This is a Fanfic that I am currently writing on Wattpad, so, if you want to go read it there, then you can. My Wattpad user is the same as this user.
> 
> Okay, so enjoy the story! Bye.

Black is the color that is no color at all. The color of a child's still, empty bedroom.

The heaviest hour of the night-the one that traps you in your bed, suffocating you in another nightmare.

The mud, the lidless eye watching your every breath, the low vibrations of the fence that stretches up to tear at the sky.

It is a road. 

A forgotten night sky broken up by faded stars.

It is the new barrel of a new gun, leveled at your heart. 

The color of a promise of tomorrow, bled dry from lies and hate. It is the shadow I run from. 

It was all I could see-all I can see, for the longest of times.

Well until I opened my eyes and saw the world above me.


	2. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is the start of everything. Where Nico arrives in the asylum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Yay for first chapters!
> 
> Tell me if there's any mistakes you catch in this because I wrote it so long ago, way back when my writing was crap.
> 
> Ok, so enjoy the chapter!
> 
> Bye!

My eyes snapped open to a white room, with white walls, white wall paper, and white tiles. 

I looked down, that's weird, I was strapped to a bed-a hospital bed. I don't remember going to a hospital. I looked around the room, what was going on? Why was I here? Who brought me here? How did I get here

"Mr. di Angelo, do you know where you are?"

I looked back up to see a man, in a doctors' uniform, wheeling in a wheelchair over to me, holding a clipboard. 

"Uhm...? A hospital?" I'd answered skeptically.

"Yes, you are correct. You are in a hospital, but do you know why?"

I looked at the man, squinting my eyes, he was actually pretty good-looking for an old dude. He had long salt-and pepper hair, deep, warm, brown eyes, and was somehow surprisingly muscular.

"Uhh, I don't know, did I get into another school fight? Oh god, I probably did. Just let me go, I'm okay, my dad can't afford to pay for this." I answered standing up.

I couldn't stay here, if my father had seen these hospital bills, he'd probably just beat me again, force me to work for more than just all the house bills and all our resources.

"Mr. di Angelo, it's okay, calm down, you don't have to worry about those bills anymore."

I looked at him, raising and eyebrow uncertainty. A hospital with no expensive bills? What kind of hospital was I at?

"Uhm.. I'm sorry, but who exactly are you?" I asked the man.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, I'm Mr. Brunner, you doc-"

"Where's the boy?!" 

A black-haired, man walked in holding a beer can.

"Dionysius, no need to yell, Mr. di Angelo is right here."

"Well why didn't you bring him to me instead of pissing around?! Goddamit, why did I have to hire a fucking, soft, cripple as my assistant?!"

I just at the man that was supposedly called "Dionysius" and winced. I looked over to Mr. Brunner, to see his tired expression as if this was what "Dionysus" calls him on a daily basis.

"Just leave the kid, he doesn't even know what he did!"

"Uh, excuse me the "kid" is right here and would appreciate it if you told him what he actually did."

They both stopped their conversation abruptly to stare at me.

Dionysus then smiled, a big, crazed, wicked smile that could put the big, bad wolf in shame.

He leaned in close to me ear, and happily whispered, "You really don't know, do you?"

"Well no, I obviously wouldn't be asking you if I knew." I rolled my eyes. This guy was just trying to psych me out. Whatever it actually was that I did could really be that bad, could it?

"You see, smart ass, you killed your father. Stabbed him multiple times with a kitchen knife."

My eyes widened. 

I killed my father.

I killed my father.

He was dead.

My father was dead.

I smiled, a big, wicked smile to match Dionysus'.

I leaned back and laughed a mechanical, hysterical, mad laugh.

I'd done it. I'd finally killed my father.

That man had been abusing me for years and he's finally got what he'd deserved.

Of course I was happy, I'd never have to see that man ever again.

"See look at him," Dionysus said to Mr. Brunner, "There's the face. That face is why he's at the Olympic Academy for the Insane. You don't get faces like that from sane people."

So with that, they left the room closing the door, leaving me alone in the all-white hospital room.

• • •

I'd just came home from a horrible school day at school. Derek, Trend, and Sam were chasing after me on my way home. 

They were calling me names again, "fag" and "fruit cake" and "queer", not that that really mattered to me anymore, I get called those same names everyday, so I'd learned to live with it.

Even so, with all the torments and torture they put me through, I'd much rather be at school, then be at home. 

What happened at school was compare to what my dad put me through at home.

We lived in a shabby, old, small, apartment, me and my dad. That was all we could afford with his gambling winnings and my job at Walgreens'.

As soon as I got home, I'd tried to race into my room before Hades got to me. 

Hades.

That was what my dads' name was.

Hades.

It fit him. Hades was a the god of death. The God that punished all the dead souls unmercifully.

My dad punished me unmercifully all the time. 

I was just in front of the door to my room when Hades called, "C'mere, you little whore."

Whore. I guess that was the name of the day. As you could tell, my father was very creative.

I slowly turned around, and just stared at the mess of my once, beautiful father.

His hair was black, a blacker-than-black color, it was long, slick, and thinning. He had deep, dark, black eyes. 

His face was once beautiful, it was once the most handsomest thing in the word, the thing I longed to be ever-so-much.

But now he was this.

A beauty to a beast.

A wild, ugly beast.

I looked away, pained to see the broken remains of what used to be my father.

"Clean this mess up for me, bitch."

He kicked around broken glass from one of his bear bottles.

I walked over, slowly, hesitantly, and bended down to pick up the shares pieces of glass.

As soon as I was done, he stomped down on my hand causing the shared glass pieces to stab and poke my hand.

I hissed at the pain, careful to not show too much emotion, or he'd probably just kick me again.

I dumped the pieces of glass into the trash and went to the sink to wash the blood off my hands.

I felt a hand on my back. I turned around to see my father standing behind me. He grabbed a spatula from the drawer and hit me in the butt with it.

Hard.

So hard that the wall I'd put up for myself had broken down into little pieces and I'd almost actually screamed.

I usually don't ever scream while he's abusing me.

Screaming was for he weak.

Screaming was to signal others for help.

I'd learned long ago that no one was going to come to help me.

I was all alone and screaming and hollering wouldn't even make those who heard care  
the slightest bit.

"Yeah," he said laughing his cruel laugh, "You like that, you whore?"

I just ignored him, hoping he'd go away if I'd pretend to not acknowledge his presence.

He picked up the spatula and smacked my back with it.

"You know, one of these days, I'll just come to your room and slit your throat and finally-finally I won't ever have to see you again."

I just kept on washing my hands, ignoring him.

I finished washing my hands and started my way to my room.

"Who said I was done with you, whore?"

I kept walking.

I just had reached my door when my father pushed me against the door, slamming my back into it.

"Answer me when I'm talking to you."

I looked away, not wanting to see his face.

He pulled my shirt and slammed me back against the door.

Again.

And again.

And again.

"You should've died in that car crash," he was now saying, "You're worthless, pointless. Nothing but a fucking gay shit. You're like a fucking girl. No, not a girl. Your sister was better than you. You're like a fucking cockroach, one that's been living in my house, one that I'd finally trapped and was going to kill."

He reached his hand in his pocked and grabbed a knife, positioning it against my throat.

"Goodbye, whore. It was terrible knowing you."

Goodbye.

Goodbye.

"Goodbye, father." I said.

And with that I ripped the knife from his hands and stabbed him in the throat.

Then in the leg.

Then in his arm.

Then in the thigh.

Then in the chest.

I'd stabbed him so many times.

There was so much blood.

So much blood.

"Hey dad," I said to his dead body, "did I ever tell you, that you were beautiful once. Well I am now. You loved so deeply. I saw it in your eyes, when you looked at mom. You loved her so much. I used to want that love so much. I used to wish that I could have it oh so much. Then I learned that the way you two loved was the kind of love that made two into one. When mom died, it was like ripping one entity in half. It destroyed you. I had watched you crumble. For you, dad, I'll never love someone that deeply."

I say there for a few moments. Finally, after months, looking into my dad's eyes. Actually looking. 

He looked so peaceful, without the anger and guilt clouding his eyes.

"You know dad, I don't blame you. You were separated from someone you loved deeply. Even though I'll never know what love is, I think I can be able to at least picture it."

I sighed happily.

Finally happy in a long time.

Since mom and Bia died two years ago.

I yawned sleepily, laid on his chest and slept.

"Goodnight, dad." I murmured.

 

• • •

 

I woke up to a high-pitch, loud sound, like a siren.

I rubbed my eyes, sleepily.

The door open, and stalked in Dionysus.

"Get up and get dressed. You have a big day ahead of you."


	3. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I think posting about once a week will be good, like every Saturday, but I may change it to twice a week because I feel like that's a bit too slow.
> 
> Okay, so, enjoy the chapter!

I just stared at the Dionysius standing at the foot of my bed, his eyes filled with pure hatred and utter annoyance.

"Wake up. I'm not telling you again. I'll do way worse than your dad. Now get up, psycho."

I shoot up, with that, out of my bed. I didn't want Dionysius even remotely close to me. 

"Good boy," he said with a vicious smirk, "Now put these on."

He threw a ratty, old, faded blue, worn-out T-shirt that looked like it had once has said "Olympus Academy for the Insane" but now, from all the washes, usage, and damage done to the shirt and damage done to the shirt, it now just said "Ol pus ademy r he nsa e".

I slipped off my other T-shirt that I was currently wearing and put that one over my head, then looked up at Dionysius.

He glared back at me, his eyes full of pure distaste and disgust.

"You children are just like vermin to me, small cockroaches that squirm around your house, but run away before you can actually squash then to death."

I stared at him, confused, wondering what was so children did to him that happened to be so horrible, that made him dread them all.

Dionysius shoved his hand in his pocket and pulled out two pieces of folded, slightly crumpled, paper, and a key.

"So apparently, according to Chiron, I'm supposed to be leading lost, fucked-up, crazy kids on tours around the school when they get here. I, for one, rather stay away from psychos. I'd prefer if I'd not catch the Insane." He shoved the keys and pieces of paper towards me. "Take this nap of the school, this schedule and your room key, and stay, the fuck out of my sight."

With that Dionysius left the room, that apparently was not mine anymore, slamming the door loudly.

I sighed softly, gathered my shirt, dressed my bed, and went off out of the room in search for my new room.

Right as I walked out of the door, I froze, petrified with amazement at the beauty of the school's hallways.

The hall's walls were a brilliant, blood, red with swirling, delicate, black patterns, gently painted on. The floors were all a shiny gold, with the same pattern as the painted walls had, also painted in black. The ceiling was entirely full of one big, giant window, so you could just see through and just see out side.

"What is this place," I muttered to myself, "Hogwarts?"

I unfolded the piece of papers given to me, and wandered around the school, trying to find my new room.

 

• • • 

 

I was lost.

After just 5 minutes of wandering around the school, I was truly lost. 

By now, I was just randomly picking a pathway, hoping I'd at least end up somewhere.

I closed my eyes, eenie, meenie, miney, mo, catch a tiger by it's toe, my mom said-

Suddenly, I was knocked backwards by some unknown force, landing painfully on my butt.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry! Oh my god! Here, let me help you."

I opened my eyes to see a skinny, frail, boy with curly brown hair and and pointy, elvish ears. The boy was wearing a bright red shirt, like mine, it said, "Olympus Academy for the Insane", but his shirt was obviously newer, disregarding the random black grease stains on it. He had long, black suspenders, hooked from the belt buckles in his jeans. 

There were long scrawls of paper scattered around the floor that the boy obviously dropped, as he bumped into me.

The boy held out his hand, which took, and pulled me up.

He scrambled around to pick up his things.

"I'm so sorry. I'm such a klutz, I didn't even see you there."

I looked at him, watching as he scratches his hair, nervously.

I smile at him, even though I probably looked pretty creepy, because I don't really smile often, "That's okay. I'm Nico, by the way, Nico di Angelo."

The boy looked up at me, flashing me a nervous smile, "Hi Nico, I'm Leo Valdez."

"Well, Leo Valdez, do you happen to know where room 101 is?" I asked him in the sweetest, most polite voice I could muster up.

He flashes me with a giant, toothy grin, "Yeah, my friend Jason rooms there. Why'd you ask?"

 

"Uhm… I'm new here and on this paper that Dionysius gave to me, says, "New Room: 101" and I just assumed…" I said, trailing off.

He nodded his head understandingly, "Okay, follow me."

He started walking in the exact opposite direction I was thinking of taking. Who knew bumping into scrawny, curly-haired kids would benefit me?

Leo walked to a room with a bright red door and a plaque, with the ingraining "101", in fancy cursive letters. 

Leo brought his fist up and knocked a rhythm: tap, tap, ta—tap, tap and sang in his best Anna voice, "Do you wanna build a snowman."

You could hear a loud, bang, coming from the inside of the room and a few stomps, like someone's footsteps.

The door swung open, revealing Jason, a super hot guy, in only boxers. Jason had short, blonde hair that stuck up, probably from sleep. His eyes were a crystal, clear, bright blue. On the corner his upper lip was a small scar, that just added to his hot image. To top it off, he had, cute, golden glasses that now sat crookedly on the bridge of his nose.

My eyes trailed down from face to his abs, to see a nice, see built six, pack, then lower to see his boxers, slightly slipping from his hips.

"Leooo," Jason groaned, "First of all, it's the middle of March, how are we supposed to build a snowman now? Secondly, I've told you many times not to wake me up early."

Leo rolled his eyes and grinned, he glanced at Jason and looked back over to me, "Real charmer, this one."

Jason rolled his eyes, obviously annoyed, "Thanks, I try."

"I actually came here for something important his time," Leo started, "This is Nico di Angelo, you're new roommate. Also, it's 10:07 I suspected you to be awake by then."

Jason looked towards me, as if acknowledging my presence for the first time, and held out his hand for me to take.  
"Hi, I'm Jason, Jason Grace. Sorry my friend here had to be the first one you met at this school. I insure you, even though this is a school for this insane, we're not all crazy."

He gave me an effortlessly, sexy lopsided smile that made my insides churn at just that.

I, a forever alone, Mythomagic obsessed, antisocial loner, with absolutely no experience at the art of "flirting", just stood there gawking at him like a fool, with my mouth open so wide that maybe a million flies could get stuck in it.

How could I possibly deal with having him as my roommate if I couldn't even just keep up a civilized conversation.

So I just laughed, possibly too hard and loud, certainly too late for a simple comical remark. It looked like a was some sort of stupid person who didn't understand the jokes until about a year after it was told.

"Uhm," I stuttered, like the true charmer I was, "Can I, like, come in now?"

He gave me a weird look, like 'oh, he actually belongs here, he's a literal lunatic", before moving out of the way and opening the door for me.

The room was pretty average sized, with two beds, two closets, two tables next to the bed, and two cupboards, two doors on opposite sides of the room, which were probably bathrooms, one of the beds was undressed, probably because Jason was just sleeping in it. The side of the room where Jason's bed was had a few posters hanging on the wall, there was a poster of Panic! at the Disco, one of Fall out Boy, another of The New Politics, and one  
other bands I didn't know.

"So," I said clearing my throat, "You like The New Politics?"

He stared back at me and smiled, "Of Course, what's there not to like about them?"

I smiled at him, "Besides the obvious fact that Søren Hansen needs a haircut."

He stared at me like I had just brutally murdered his mother.

"Uhm, excuse me, Søren's luscious long lock are hot."

I laughed to hide my confusion and slight excitement. Was Jason gay as well? 

"Ehh, David Boyd will forever be the hottest."

Jason bent down to rummage through the cupboard holding his clothes and pulled out a light blue shirt, a pair of loose khaki pants, and slipped on some sandals.

"Okay," Jason said, grabbing a phone, that was probably his and his key to the room from the bedside table , "I'm off to the cafeteria, because food. There should be some of your clothes from your house in the closet and some belongings in your cupboard thingy. Also, if shit goes on, I have my number on this piece of paper somewhere on my table side desk. So, be safe, and stuff."

With that Jason left me alone in the foreign room, I'm this foreign place, lost, alone, alone, and very confused.

• • •


	4. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So basically Nico meets everyone.

• • •

 

I was currently rummaging through the cupboards and drawers, inspecting all of the belongings they'd brought.

They'd gotten nearly everything from my house—my stuff, my dad's stuff, my mom's and sister's old stuff. It's not like it really mattered if they stole all their stuff. They were dead, who were they to judge me for taking their belongings?

They'd gotten my phone, my dad's phone, a few clothes, my sketchbooks, some shoes, a lot of my books, my toothbrush, and an old, small wooden box that I used to keep my razors in.

I picked up the box and opened it carefully. I was somewhat shocked when I realized all the old, battered up razors were actually still there.

What kind of school were they running? I was a, supposingly, quote unquote, "crazy person". Wouldn't it be better to actually look through the stuff you were giving back to me?

I didn't really mind, though. Actually, I was pretty elated when I realized that they were back with me. Those razors were the only friends I've had for a while. 

I reached for my sketchbook, flipping through the old, little drawings I'd drawn, until I'd gotten to the unfinished one I was working on before I got to the school.

It was a drawing of my dad, with some sort of mad twist to it. He had long, dark devil horns curling around his head, his jaw was spread wide open and sharp, jagged teeth with slob on them were in his mouth, pointing out in different directions. His eyes had no pupils. They were just a dark, dull black, yet, they still seemed to pierce through me. He was wearing a business suit, one that he used to wear to work, before he'd lost his job. His hands were covered in jagged, black claws. Both hands were fixing his tie.

I closed the book. He was dead now, he couldn't possibly hurt me. Could he?

I shook my head, no that's impossible.

He can't hurt me. He can't touch me. He can't get near me.

He's dead, Nico, he's dead. You killed him.

Aren't you happy? Why aren't you happy?

You should be jumping with pure joy.

Maybe you're just crazy. Maybe you're mad. Maybe you're truly insane.

Maybe, maybe, maybe.

Maybe you belong here, in this school of the mad.

You are mad, aren't you now?

My eyes flickered towards the box.

They're your friends, they wouldn't do anything bad to you.

Then why does it hurt so fucking much?

I guess I deserve the pain, don't I?

Don't I?

Don't I?

Just as my hand touched the box, the door swung open, and Jason sauntered through, some other guy following close behind.

The other guy was hot. Mad hot. His eyes were a piercing green. His skin an absolute tan perfection. He had black hair that was messy, but also absolute perfection. He was wearing a greenish, gray hoodie, dark jeans, and green and gray converse.

"Okay," Jason said, clapping his hands together. "This is Percy." He pointed to his hot friend, who waved slightly at Nico.

"We figured that you're new and probably hungry, so you don't know where the cafeteria is. We're here to show you."

I raised an eyebrow at them, then shrugged. It's not like I actually had anything better to do. I grabbed my phone, my sketchbook, and two pencils—one dull the other sharp—and motioned for them to lead the way.

I walked a few paces behind them while they walked side by side down the hallways. 

In front of me, Jason said something to Percy, causing Percy to nudge him hard in the ribs. Jason clutch his side, bursting out laughter, and said something else to Percy, who shook his head furiously. Jason turned to say something else to Percy, but he just walked faster and stopped in front of a set of double doors.

"Okay, this is the cafeteria," Percy said, motioning to the double doors.

"Noted," I replied, walking past Percy and Jason, into the cafeteria.

Inside, there wasn't really much to describe, it was just your high school cafeteria, filled with teenagers.

There was the irregularities, the insanity here and there, like the guy sitting with his head inside a bowl of cereal, not making any sudden movements or any hints of him even being alive. The girl with about twenty ketchup packets, just opening them and rubbing them all over her face like some moisturizer. Besides them, and a few others, it was just about sane in here.

Jason put his hand on my shoulder, "Percy and I usually sit over there, with others." He was referring to a table full of other sane-looking people.

Sitting at that table was three girls and three boys.

Leo was there, telling some sort of wild, crazy story. He was using big hand gestures to describe what was happening. There was a girl sitting on his left, she seemed like the only one actually listening to his wild story. 

The girl had short, brown hair that was cut fairly uneven, and hardly reached had shoulder, not counting the random long, thin braids. The girl had eyes that seemed to change colors at a mile a minute and had facial features like someone with Native American heritage.

The person to the left of her was a perfectly perfect looking blonde girl, with perfectly bouncy blonde curls pulled back into a perfectly perfect ponytail. Even though, I was obviously 100% gay, I could still tell the absolute beauty radiating off of her. Currently, the girl was glaring annoyingly at Leo for his excessive talking.

There was a guy sitting on his left, with electric-blonde hair, and a long deep scar that ran across his face. The guy had piercing blue eyes that weren't warm and friendly, like Jason's but, were cruel and mean. He, like the blonde girl, was currently glaring annoyingly at Leo like, "I won't hesitate to impale you clean through your heart with this fork if you don't shut the fuck up." 

On Leo's other side was a girl, that was obviously trying to pay attention, but was only saying the occasional nod or "Uh-Huh." The girl had light-brown, chocolate colored skin, with curly, caramel colored hair, bright golden, brown eyes.

The person sitting next to her was a asian guy with big, strong muscles. The guy was holding hands with the dark-skinned girl, do they must've been dating or something. The guy had dark brown eyes, and dark brown—almost black hair, cropped short, military style.

Percy and Jason lead the way, walking ahead of me, to their table and sat down. Percy sat next to the guy with blonde hair, piercingly blue eyes, Jason sitting next to Percy, and since that was the only seat left, I sat next to Jason.

Jason sat back in his chair, "Greetings losers, this is the newbie, Nico, that I was talking about."

There was a string of "Hi, Nico"'s, "'Sup's" and, "Hello's".

I just sat there waving at the group, feeling slightly out of place.

Jason put his hand on my shoulder, "This is Luke," he said, referring to the guy with the scar, "Annabeth," he pointed at the girl with the blonde curls, "Piper," he said, implying the girl with the chopped braided hair, "Hazel," Jason said, hinting the dark-skinned girl, "and Frank." Jason nodded at the asian boy with the military styles hair.

They started up a conversation about different types of cheesecakes. What surprised me was that they didn't all seem very much crazy, they just seemed like relatively normal teenagers. I didn't see a crazy tint in their eyes or some odd twitch, I just saw regular teenagers having a regular conversation.

I picked up one of my pencils, the one that was sharp, but not fine-pointedly sharp, and continued drawing the devilish, yet emotionally accurate, picture of my dad.

"So," Leo said, clearing his throat, "Nico. What did you do to get in here?"

The rest of the tables cheesecake related conversation died out, and they all stared straight at me, expectantly.

Except, I just shrugged, it's not like I'd actually knew if I actually killed my dad. The dream I had was good proof, but I couldn't be 100% sure.

"They say I killed my father, but I'm not sure."

They all nodded like what I just said was totally understandable, even though it probably wasn't.

Leo nodded, "I 'accidentally' torched 4 foster families," he replied, putting air quotes around the 'accidentally'.

"Doesn't seem like it was very much of an accident," Piper coughed under her breath.

Leo shot her a deadly glare, "Zip it, Piper. At least I didn't steal a new BMW then run my dad over with it."

Piper smiled at him, "Nope, it was me. And proud."

Annabeth rolled her eyes, obviously annoyed by the two, "I'm in for thinking that they were spiders all over me even though they aren't there."

Piper nonchalantly snuck her hand behind Annabeth, placing it over her back, and using her fingers to slightly brush upon it. 

"I'm a fucking spider to haunt you in your dreams," she whispered in Annabeth's ear.

Annabeth just slapped her hand from her back, "Funny," she deadpanned.

Jason cleared his throat, "I'm here because I jumped off a building, thinking I could fly."

For a moment there was silence, then there was a burst of laughter, from everyone at the table.

"That. Never. Gets. Old," Piper said, her breath coming out in heaps, from her laughing so much.

Jason rolled his eyes, "So, Nico, what are your classes?"

I reached into my pocket and grabbed the schedule that Dionysius gave me, and handed it to him.

He grabbed it and scanned my classes, while Percy looked over his shoulder at my schedule.

"Well you have 3 classes with me, the rest are pre ap, and I don't really take pre ap classes," Percy said.

Jason laughed, "Because you stupid."

Percy glared at Jason and punched him in the shoulder, "Shut up."

That only made Jason laugh more.

"Anyways," Jason said turning his attention back to the schedule, "you have all classes with me, besides athletes, where you have Graphic Design, so I guess follow Annabeth on that, she's got it too."

I nodded in understanding.

"Okay and also…" he suddenly stopped talking, looking at the schedule in shock.

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"What?" I asked.

Jason looked back up at me, then down at the piece of paper he was holding.

"Sorry. You just have therapy."

Therapy? This was an asylum, what was so wrong about getting a little bit of therapy?

"Your point is…?"

"The only people who get therapy are the craziest."

The craziest? I wasn't crazy, was I? I at least couldn't have been crazy enough to be one of the craziest people here. Right?

Right now, I was certain of absolutely nothing. It was all so new to me, I didn't know anything about the school, they could be plotting my murder right now, and I wouldn't be aware of it.

Jason looked up at me, then back down at the paper.

"That's not it," Jason started "The people who leave to therapy always come back with a little less sanity then they had before they left."

"Whatever they do in there doesn't help us, it just makes us more mad than before."


	5. Chapter Four

I took a deep breath.

It was all going to be okay. I was not crazy. If I wasn't crazy, they couldn't have possibly made me crazier.

Currently I was standing right in front of the room marked: Therapy.

I had to just step inside, or else I was going to be late, but the thing is, I didn't want to.

I really, really didn't want to.

I really, really didn't want to become crazy, or insane.

I looked at the time on my phone, I had less than a minute.

I stared at the door for a couple of seconds more, took a deep breath, grabbed the handlebar, and pushed the door open.

I looked around the therapy room. It was pretty big. It had big, fluffy couches. Red walls with golden swirling patterns, like the ones in the hallway, and a big desk that sat who must've been my very own therapist. On the desk was a red plaque with the word "Mrs. Hestia", written in gold. 

The lady in the chair looked, in all honesty, nice. She had dark, chocolate-colored skin, all shiny and smooth. She had eyes that were golden brown, like the color of coals burning in a warm fire. Her hair was reddish, brown, smooth, and a bit curly. There was a warm vibe of, security, and safety, that just radiated of her.

Even though, she looked pretty decent, I was still horrified about this. Jason said I'd go crazy (well, crazier than I already was.) after this visit.

The lady, who was apparently Mrs. Hestia, smiled at me as I entered the room.

"Welcome, Nico, I hear you're new?"   
Her voice was sweet, soothing, and soft.

I smiled back at her and nodded a yes.

"How about you take a seat?

I nodded again and sat down on one of her fluffy couches.

"So, Nico, why are you here?"

"Shouldn't you know that, you are the therapist, after all."

"You are correct, I do know that. I just need to know if you know that."

I looked down at my lap. I did know why I was here, according to Mr. Dionysius, I'd killed my father. I'd stabbed him multiple times, heartlessly. I did it and I was glad I did. I was so glad, that he was gone.

I guess being happy at death was a little insane.

I looked up back to Mrs. Hestia, "I, um, I killed my father and, um, I'm glad I did."

What a fool I was, a coward, I couldn't even admit to my own crime without stuttering.

Mrs. Hestia did was nodded, smiled even.

"Good," she said, that bright smile still plastered on her face, "The first step is acceptance, you need to accept that you killed him, that you are a monster, a blood thirsty monster that needs to be stopped."

All the warmth, kind and happiness I'd felt from her melted like a candle, leaving memories it in droopy, drying wax.

"Nico you are mad, the insanity inside of you will continue to blossom until we do something about it."

I was just sitting there, staring at her in shock, was this the same woman who I'd felt the warm vibe of safety and security?

"If it were me, I'd suggest that you were worked on, cut open and rebuilt, like they used to do, with the crazy like you."

"One day, you'll walk out of here like a champion, cured and free; free from your madness inside, but for now? You'll remain crazy."

 

• • • 

 

Crazy.

Mad.

Insane.

All words that meant the same thing, all words that described me. I was crazy, I was mad, I was insane. 

I'd killed my father, he was dead. I might as well have killed my mother and my sister. If it weren't for my stupid driving they'd be alright. 

I looked towards the box on my bed. The box full of razors.

They would protect me, they'd make me feel better, right?

I didn't care anymore.

I picked up the box, went into the bathroom, and locked the door.

 

• • •

 

There was so much blood. The blood was everywhere. On my shredded arms, my cut-up legs, on the floor, in the bathtub.

The bathtub, where I was sitting in, fully clothed even though it was full of water, carving shapes into my arms, mindlessly.

My mind was a loop, an endless refrain: your-fault-your-fault-your-fault. There was a mangled sobbing sound coming from somewhere, and it took me a long time to realize I was the one who was crying.

I heard the door to the dorm open, and someone step into the room.

My eyes widened and more tears spilled out of my eyes.

Oh no, whoever that was couldn't come in the bathroom. I was a complete mess inside here.

My arms, my legs, and belly were littered with cuts that I'd marked upon myself, whoever that was, if they came in here they'd probably either faint or throw up.

There was a time, when my father had started beating me, I'd hide. I'd hide in small closets, under beds, and behind couches. I would stay there for hours and hours at a time, I remember once when it had gotten really bad, I'd stayed for a whole day and most of the night. 

So I did what I did best, I curled up, pulling my knees to my chest, and I hid.

Unfortunately that wasn't enough. The person started knocking on the door.

"Hello?" Percy.

"Nico I know you're in there. People are asking where you've been."

I pulled my knees closer to me, still not answering.

"They say have courage, but I'm trying too, I'm right out here for you, just let me in."

I lifted my head spin hearing this. That idiot. Was he seriously sing songs from 'Frozen'.

"We only have each other, it's just me and you, what are we going to do?"

I rolled my eyes and stood up from the bloody bathtub, standing weakly, ignoring all the pain I'd caused on my body, and shuffled towards the door.

"Do you wanna build a snow man?"

I pulled the door open to see a smirking Percy, who's smirk faded right after he saw me.

"It's the middle of March, you dolt." I muttered.

That's the last thing I remember before I blacked out.

• • •


	6. Chapter Five

I'm in a crowd, watching two children fight over a baby.

They are playing tug-of-war, pulling it violently back and forth, and the baby is blue, and I know that they are shaking it to death. 

I'm trying to push through the crowd, but more and more people are surging around me, blocking my path, making it impossible to move. And then, just as I feared, the baby falls; It hits the pavement and shatters into a thousand pieces, like a china doll.

Then all the people are gone. I am alone on a road, and infront of me stands a girl with long, silky, smooth, black hair. 

She's bent over the shattered baby, piecing it together painstakingly, humming to herself. 

The day is bright and perfectly still. Each of my footsteps rings out like a gunshot, but she doesn't look up until I am standing directly in front of her.

Then when she does, and she is Bianca.

"See," she's waving the baby in front of my face, "I fixed it."

And I see that the baby's face is in fact, my own, and webbed together with a thousand of tiny fissures and cracks.

Bianca cradles the baby in her arms, "Wake up," she coos, "Nico, wake up."

"Wake up."

My eyes snapped open to a bright sea green color.

Eyes. Percy's eyes.

"Nico wake up," he's shaking me.

"I'm up, I'm up," I reply weakly, my throat dry,

"Oh god, good. I thought I lost you for a moment," he sighs, leaning back on the table.

Then it all comes back to me; the therapy session, the cutting, Percy, the Frozen song.

"No, I'm alright. Do you have any water?" I ask, since my throat is still dry.

"Yeah, yeah," Percy replies nervously, and moves from where he's sitting on the bed next to me and walk somewhere, to get water, I think.

While he's gone I scan my surroundings. I'm in a room, one of the dorms, similar to Jason and my room, there's tape on the floor, straight down the middle of the room. On one side, the side I'm on, has a bed and, and a bunk, and a wardrobe. This side is messy, the other is neat.

On the side I'm on his a huge Finding Nemo poster on one wall and another poster of 5SOS.

This was probably Percy's side of the room.

The other side had walls with many different types of tools, and machines hanging from the walls in neat, perfectly arranged rows. There were blueprints on a desk, in perfect stacks and piles.

The door opens and Percy's back in the room with a cup full of water.

I sit up—bad idea; pain strikes my arms, torso, and legs.

Percy rushes over to where I am, putting his hand under my back, the hand not holding the cup of water,and helps me up.

"Woah, woah, woah, easy, easy, you don't wanna rip your stitches."

I looked up at him, stitches? Oh God, he must've taken me to the nurse or something, they probably think I'm even more crazy than I am, they're gonna lock me up somewhere, I'm probably to crazy, they were going to lock me up all alone, and I couldn't be all alone, not again.

"Calm down, you're hyperventilating, you can go into something-something shock if you do that," he said said scratching his head.

"Just calm down, how about you tell me something, a story, a happy moment in your life or something."

A happy moment? I had very few, but I could think of one.

"Um.. Me and my sister Bianca were in this garden thing, in this park behind our house, and she was braiding flowers in my hair, and I was shuffling my Mythomagic Cards. I'd felt safe, and in that moment, I thought that everything was okay. It was all calm and relaxed. I remember she was wearing a bright yellow dress with blue flowers on it and-and her shoes were bright blue laces converse. I-I remember she had blue and ribbons braided in her hair. I-I k-know it's not much, but it-it was enough, it was happy."

By now tears were streaming freely down my face.

"Percy?" I asked.

"Hmm?" He answered.

"Why are you here, I mean in this mental ward?"

He chuckled, a chuckle full of despair and sadness, "I too killed my dad. My step dad, his name was Gabe, he beat my mother, and me. He tried to beat my little brother—Tyson, and I snapped. Grabbed a kitchen knife and... Well you get the rest."

He handed me the water which I immediately chugged quickly.

"You know my mom used to cut too, she would cut deep, and make herself loose a lot of blood. I remember the first time I saw her cuts. I was like, what, 11. I'd just gotten home from school, and I knew that Gabe was gone gambling or something. Tyson was just 2 then, and he was crying and I was like, 'why would mom let him cry like that. So I looked around for her, and I eventually found her passed out in a pool of her own vomit and blood," he gives another sad chuckle, "I'd thought she was dead, but she wasn't. I had to Google directions on what to do. That's where I learned how to do stitches."

I nodded, not knowing what to say, so I just said, "I'm sor—" there was a loud, high pitched shriek that came from down the hall.

My eyes widened, was someone being tourchered?

"It's okay," Percy said, "It's probably Clarisse, her parasomnia acting up again. This happens like once every week."

I nodded, and relaxed on Percy's bed.

"You can go to sleep if you want. You're probably tired." Percy said, "I know I'm tired."

With that Percy hopped on the bed and lied next to me, pulling the covers up, and over me and himself.

I let myself close my eyes and fall asleep.

Here with Percy, I'd felt relaxed for the first time in forever.

 

• • •

 

After that day, me and Percy started hanging out more and more. He'd show me a lot of things about Olympus Academy, like the roof; where everyone remotely sane hung out. He showed the people to hang out with and the people to not, like the girl, Clarisse, who was screaming on that day I cut myself, she apparently was the bully of the school and had passive aggressive disorder. 

Percy and I occasionally played pranks on people, like messing up Leo's side of the room, or stealing Clarisse's boxing glove, or right now, how we switched all of Jason's boxers with a girl named Drew Tanaka with Anorexia and Narcissistic Personality Disorder's bright pink, Victoria Secret thongs.

Currently me and Percy were running wildly from the horrible monster that was chasing us called Jason Grace. 

"I swear, I'll literally kill the both of you!" Jason's voice echoed down the hall behind them.

"Oh shit," Percy called back, "I'm almost scared."

There wasn't anything really to be scared of honestly, Jason was going pretty slow with his running, not that I blame him. That thong was probably cutting off the circulation to his junk.

I smiled, I was starting to do that more and more when I was with Percy. I was more than certain that I had a crush on him, but I wasn't going to do anything, it was pretty obvious that Percy was in fact, not gay, nor had a crush on me.

Percy pulled me on the arm, interrupting my thoughts, into a Janitor's Closet and shut the door.

"We should be safe here," he says, leaning for on his knees for support, panting heavily.

Even in the dim light of the janitor's closet, he still looked beautiful. His bright sea green eyes sparkling, his thick, black hair messy in the most perfectly imperfect way, his perfect pink lips, so perfect so smooth that you wonder if you were to kiss them, if they were to be as smooth as velvet.

Oh those lips, how I just wanted to kiss them so.

He's probably not even gay.

He'll probably hate me forever.

He'll probably never talk to me ever again.

He'll probably think I'm a freak.

"Oh what the hell," I muttered under my breath.

"Nico wha—" He didn't even get to finish his sentence, because his lips were covered by mine.

I pulled back quickly, touching my lips carefully. Yes indeed, his lips were as velvety, soft as I thought.

I shook my head, what was I thinking, just going and missing him like that? Oh god he probably hates me, he's probably disgusted by me, oh god.

"Percy, I'm-I'm sorry, you j-just looked so beautiful in the lighting, I-I couldn't resist. I'm so, so, so sor—" now it was my turn to be interrupted by his lips smashing into mine.

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest and my lips were tingling. My brain seemed to be screaming at me to just pull away, but I just found myself simply standing there and letting Percy's lips devour mine. After a few minutes I wrapped my arms around his neck and started kissing back.

Percy pulled away from the kiss, and leaned his forehead against mine, "Nico," was all he said, breathlessly.

I looked at him, into his eyes, his beautiful sea green eyes, and just nodded.

There was a loud bang from outside and we both jumped apart to see the door open to an angry looking Jason.

"Fuck," was all I said.


	7. Chapter Seven

"I'm going to die of ennui." I groaned, putting down the big packet of history homework Mrs. Athena had assigned us.

Percy just smirked, his cute, adorable, smirk.

"I don't how to reply to that because, I don't know what that even means."

I rolled my eyes at his unintentional cuteness, "Ennui, it's French, means like, weariness, lack of interest, boredom."

"Ohh. If that's what you mean then I guess we can take a break, but we have to get back to this afterwards."

I rolled my eyes at him, yet again, "You're starting to sound like Annabeth."

Over the few weeks I've been here, I've been hanging out with Percy's friends more and more often, even so, I still felt a bit different and left out. It was obviously the only people who really liked me were Percy, Jason, and maybe Leo, the rest were just acting pretty nice, but it was obviously forced. Then there was Luke who just plain creeped me out. The only Percy said that he's like that to everyone and to just try to avoid him. The other times I tried to ask Percy about Luke, I was shut down or just got a simple "It's complicated" in reply. It was obvious that Luke was a pretty touchy subject so I wasn't really going to bring him up.

Percy rolled his eyes, "No, I'm just scared that Mrs. Athena will claw our eyes out for not finishing the history homework."

I smiled while putting the stuff away to make room on the bed.

"So what do you want to do during our break?"

Percy smirked, a smirk that sort of resembled a shark and scooted slightly closer on the bed towards me, "Well I have an idea."

I raised an eyebrow, "Do share, Mr. Jackson."

His smirk just grew bigger, "This."

With that, he leaned forward, as if to kiss me, just leaving a mere inch of space between our lips, showing that I could back out if I wanted, giving me a choice.

My eyes scanned his face. His eyes were closed, eyelashes fanning his cheeks in their shiny, black curl, his hair that seems jet black actually having a small brown glint in it.

I noticed a small scar on the bridge of his nose. For a fleeting moment I wondered how he got it. I just wanted to know everything about the boy standing in front of me. And more than anything, I just wanted to feel his lips on mine.

With that I closed the space between our lips, immediately feeling his velvety, smooth lips move against mine. The warmth of his mouth sent a current running through my body. I threw my arms around Percy’s neck and let myself get lost in his peppermint breath and soft lips.

I pulled away, regretting it immediately, "I-I can't. I'm sorry, Percy."

He furrowed his eyebrows together in confusion, "Why not? Did I do something?"

I shook my head, "No, it's just that, I'm not some toy that you can kiss when you feel like it. If you wanna do this with me then we gotta do this right."

"Oh! I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like that, I know you're not just a toy, you're much more than that." He said softly, while rummaging through his pockets for something.

"Aha!" Percy exclaimed while pulling out a Ring Pop.

"Nico di Angelo," he started getting down on his knee, "would you bless me with the wonderful gift of being the boyfriend of a peasant like me?"

I smiled, one of my rare true genuine smiles. Percy Jackson wanted to be my boyfriend, I don't know how that even could've happened, how anyone could love me, but I guess I should accept his offer while it was out.

"Yes, I'd be honored to." I said, letting him slip the ring on my finger.

 

• • •

 

I was in the library looking for a certain poem book Mr. Apollo had asked to retrieve for my his English class.

My eyes scanned the shelves looking for the right book or else Mr. Apollo would gladly hurt me for not getting everything perfect.

"Nico." A voice called from the back of one of the shelves.

I turned looking left to right, front to back, looking for the person who owned the voice and still not finding anyone.

I shook my head, maybe I just imagined it.

“Nico,” the mysterious voice whispered yet again.

I looked around again, getting annoyed, it was probably just Percy, Jason or Leo pranking me.

“Whoever you are, show yourself.” I called out, a bit agitated now.

"It's me," then the all mighty, mysterious Luke Castellan walked out from behind one of the bookshelves, into my view.

"Luke? What do you want." I asked gaping in confusion.

Luke had obviously hated me, all the glares be gave me and the looks of pure hatred. Usually when you are in the business of hating someone you don't whisper their names in libraries and sneak up on them while they're trying to check out books.

"You have therapy next, right?", Luke asks, dodging my question completely.

"Yeah," I say nodding uncertainly.

"You should skip it," he says looking around, making sure no one else was listening.

"Why?" I asked.

He leans closer and lowers his voice.

"What I'm about to tell you is very important. You can not tell anyone, okay?"

"Yeah, I got it." I said, getting pretty anxious.

"Therapy, it's all a lie, it doesn't help, it actually makes you worse."

"What are you talking about?"

"Let me finish," he says, shushing me, "In therapy they say things, things that make you more crazy, more insane, so you'll have to stay. They say the people who get therapy are the ones who need it the most, but it's actually for the strongest ones. 

"You've been abused by your dad for years, and you're still pretty sane. That's pretty strong if you ask me."

"Why would they do that? Shouldn't they want you to leave, not stay here?" I asked uncertainly.

"Well this asylum isn't actually a asylum, it's a place where you can pay to keep your child away, most people here arrive all normal and sane, it's those who get shoved into therapy classes to get crazy to fit the rest of the school."

"I don't get it, all my family is dead, who else would want me to be here?"

“I don’t know, is there someone in your family that hates you deeply, maybe some distant relative of some sort?” He asked with genuine confusion.

I thought about it, and thought, and thought, but still nothing. Sure I had some cousins and aunts and uncle and such, but none I knew of that would resent me so much to do something like this.

Maybe it was my dad back from the dead, coming to haunt me.

I grimaced at the mere thought of that, I couldn’t stand my dad being alive, I’d probably kill myself.

I looked up towards to where Luke was previously sitting, just remembering to ask him why he and Percy hated each other so much, but he was gone, almost as if he’d simply vanished into thin air.


End file.
